Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-10-28
A CONNECTION.
Surprise and Dismsy Over the Fire Escape
Ordinance.

Surprise and Dismay Over the Fire Escape
Ordinance.
Owners of certain large buildings were
surprised, yesterday.
They we're served with copies Of the or
dipance in relation to fire escapes, lately
enacted by Council.
At the meeting of the Municipal Legis-
lature held June IA, 1887, ian ordinance
in relation to fire escapes" was passed as
follows:
Be it ordained by the Council Of the City Of
Wheeling:
SECTION /. All buildings, except such as
are used for private residences exclusively,
in the City of Wheeling, Of four (4) or
more stories in height, shall be provided
with one or more metallic ladders, or me-
tallic fire escapes, extending from the first
story to the upper stories of such building,
and above the roof and on the outer walls
thereof, in such location and num-
beers, and of such material and con-
structiOn as the Board of Police and Fire
Commissioners, or a majority OF them,
may from time 10 time, determine. Alter
such determination shall have been made
as aforesaid, the said Board may at any
time, by notice in writing served upon
the owner, lessee or occupant of any such
building, by leaving with such owner,
lessee or occupant, or at his n their resi-
dence or place of business, copy Of such
notice, require such owner, lessee or occu-
pant, or either Of them, to cause such me-
tallic ladder OF fire escape to be placed
upon such building within thirty days
after the service of such notice. PrOrided,
ho,Oerer, That all buildings more than two
~ stories in height, used for manutactur-
ing purposes, shall have one metallic lad
der for every twenty-five persons, or less,
employed above the second story.
SECTION 2. In case such owner, lessee or
occupant, or either of them, so served
with notice as aforesaid, shall not, within
thirty DAYS after the service of such notice
on him or them, place or caused to be
placed, such metallic ladder or fire escape
upon such buildings as required by this
article and terms OF such notice, he or they
shall be subject to a fine of not less than
ten or more than one hundred dollars, and
to further fine of fifty dollars for each
week of such neglect to comply with such
notice after the service of the same.
This document was turned over to the
Board of Police and Fire Commissioners
for enforcement, but no action was taken
by that body until at the meeting last
Monday evening, when the Clerk WAS in
structed TO serve notices aud copy Of the
ordinance upon the owners Of the follow
ing buildings, deemed by the Board to
come under the law: Mcclure House, Stamm
House, ct. James Hotel, G. Steinmetz's
box factory, Bloch Bros, Tack factory,
Pottery Company and the Board of E':u-
cation, for the various city school build
ings of the required height.
This notice the clerk served in the fol-
lowing form:
THE POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSIONERS
OF THE
CITY OF WHEELING.
CITY BUILDING,
WHEELING, W. VA, Oct. 81, 1887.
You are hereby notified to comply with
the terms OF an ordinance in relation to
fire escapes. A copy of the came is here
with enclosed
BY order OF
POLICE AND FIRE COMMISSIONERS,
b STANLEY, Clerk.
This, as we have said, produced some
CONSERVATION. Two or three of the parties
interested, who had evidently forgotten all
about the passage of the ordinance by
Council, called at the City Hall during the
day, and made enquiries of Clerk Stanley
and others concerning tina matter. At
first there was a disposition to make a
kick, hut the question soon took on
different phase, and last evening all were
satisfied the ordinance was right and
proper.